Although the Chinese economy has significantly advanced in the last decade, the animal welfare industry is still in its infancy. Pet ownership and care is new in China with the spaying/neutering among stray, feral, and sheltered dogs and cats at less than 5% in major cities and effectively zero in rural regions. The result is pet overpopulation and great need for improved pet welfare and humane population control.

This is only complicated by the dog and cat meat trade which sadly preys on animals abandoned on the streets and many unleashed and stray pets. Animals rescued from the meat trade are typically unsterilized and without proactive spay/neuter programs in place, these animals breed and continue the vicious cycle. All these issues together create an even greater pressure on the already overwhelmed informal private rescues/shelters and provides an unlimited supply of animals for the dog and cat meat trade.

The International Center for Veterinary Services (ICVS) is sponsoring spay/neuter and vaccination programs for the stray/rescued/shelter dogs and cats so these animals may receive basic medical care including rabies and distemper vaccinations, deworming and parasite treatment, microchipping and safe and humane spay/neuter surgeries. Pets that are legally vaccinated and spayed/neutered have a much better chance at being adopted and will no longer contribute to the pet overpopulation.